Monsanto has been found guilty of “ecocide” by the International Monsanto tribunal, a court created by civil society to put pressure on the chemical multinational.
Monsanto is guilty. That is the conclusion of the international tribunal (International Monsanto tribunal) established by civil society to judge the activities of the multinational specialising in the production of biotechnologies for agriculture, from transgenic seeds to plant protection products. The "offences" committed concern the failure to respect fundamental human rights, such as the right to food and to health of both human beings and the Earth. Furthermore, Monsanto's conduct is said to have had a negative impact on scientists' right to carry out their research freely. The five judges sitting on the tribunal — created by citizens and therefore without binding force, but with moral weight — presented their legal opinions on 18 April in The Hague, in the Netherlands, calling on the chemical multinational to adopt significant changes in behaviour in order to comply with the international law governing corporations.
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The International Monsanto tribunal is a body created to analyse and raise awareness among the public, governments and international organisations regarding the damage caused to health and the environment by the American multinational recently acquired by German giant Bayer. The trial took place between 15 and 16 October 2016, but the findings were published on 18 April after a period required by the five internationally recognised judges to process the statements of experts and 30 direct witnesses from every continent. A further aim was also to provide a document that can be used by people in legal disputes with Monsanto or other companies in the chemical sector, creating a "precedent" — albeit not a legal one — that could contribute to the establishment of a mechanism capable of compensating victims and responding to their need for justice.
Among the main charges is the threat to biodiversity which, according to the judges, has been severely undermined by the ever-growing number of peasants and farmers using the same single variety of genetically modified seeds (GMOs) synthesised in the laboratory by Monsanto: "By reducing crop biodiversity and the variety of locally grown plants – the document setting out the reasoning states –, Monsanto has obstructed the right to food and, moreover, has increased the risks associated with food security and weakened the natural resilience of local production systems."
Firma l'iniziativa europea contro il glifosato
Another charge, clearly illustrated by several direct witnesses, concerns the impact of GMO seeds on farmers' rights. For example, those who refused to purchase Monsanto-branded seeds nonetheless suffered contamination of their fields, effectively preventing them from selling their harvest on the market as organic. These lands, along with vast forested areas, were damaged by the uncontrolled use of herbicides, such as glyphosate, in the surrounding areas.
In some cases, again according to the judges, farmers were even forced to pay phantom intellectual property fees: "Monsanto used intimidatory tactics that damaged the social fabric of communities and caused forms of anxiety and psychological suffering." All practices "in contradiction with the principle of the right to food – the judges continue in the reasoning set out in the final document – which guarantees access to food, indispensable to every human being's existence."
For all these reasons, and for many others explained in the verdict, the five judges maintain that Monsanto could be prosecuted for the crime of ecocide (if only this were introduced by international laws that define and punish various crimes) — a term used to describe the serious losses caused to biodiversity and natural ecosystems, as well as the harm inflicted on human health and the survival of entire communities. In summary, the ecocide in question encompasses the large-scale introduction of dangerous chemical substances (pesticides) into the agricultural sector, especially intensive farming; the production of genetically modified organisms that exposes communities and individuals to risks such as the increased use of insecticides and herbicides, such as glyphosate and — until 1979 — polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), banned since 2001 by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants because, together with other toxic chemical compounds, they remain in the air, water and soil for extended periods.
Last but not least is the negative role played by the multinational in scientists' freedom to conduct research freely and independently. A right closely linked to freedom of thought and expression. This conduct would have discredited, according to the testimonies gathered from agronomists and biologists, the work of research focused in particular on environmental and public health issues — for example, through means that obstructed its dissemination or the publication of equally "biased documents and by putting pressure on governments."
Although all these activities have been carried out thanks to the voluntary commitment of civil society, it must be said that at the international level a fundamental principle applies: the precautionary principle, which provides for the need to act at the international level to safeguard the environment even when there are evident threats that have not yet been scientifically confirmed. For this reason, it is essential to sign and take part in the European citizens' initiative to demand the outright ban of the herbicide glyphosate from the territory of the European Union. Even if scientific studies appear to disagree on its carcinogenicity, acting preventively can protect us from serious repercussions. As happened, in the 1970s, with the pesticide DDT. At least one million citizens need to sign up. To date, 700,000 signatures have been surpassed, but one million are needed. The result is within reach. Italy is at the halfway point: 36,000 of the 60,000 signatures needed to reach the national quorum have been collected. It only takes a minute.